


love that lasts

by brookethenerd



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, High School, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-19 10:49:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22009789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brookethenerd/pseuds/brookethenerd
Summary: When Robin overhears the reader sing, she realizes her feelings for her best friend run deeper than she thought
Relationships: Robin Buckley/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 36





	love that lasts

Robin may not have been in the cafeteria when that _dickwad_ Sean Sutton dumped you in front of half the student body, but she caught enough snippets to understand something was going on. Gossip raced through the halls, secondhand retellings becoming third and so on until the full story reached her through a friend from her soccer team at her locker after class. 

_He did it right in front of everyone_ , and _can you believe that jerk_ and _he’s been lying for months_ , and Robin didn’t hear the rest, already pushing through the throng of students to reach you. She headed for the one place she could always count on finding you in the moments you didn’t want to be seen; the band room. 

She wanted to go directly for Sean Sutton and punch him right in the throat, but managed to reign in the best friend overprotectiveness and sought you out. Sure enough, a light melody pulsed out from the room as she approached it. Sixth period was a free period, and the band teachers were notorious for slipping out and grabbing lunch, the room was usually empty. You preferred it that way, though you never minded Robin’s intrusion. 

Today, you didn’t hear her approach, the distance between the piano and the door too great, the acoustics too well-tuned to betray her soft steps across the carpet. The music swelled, and a crescendo of notes fell across her, making something inside her yawn open with a flush that crept across her skin, as if her body knew something her brain hadn’t figured out yet. 

“ _And I won’t fight for love if you won’t meet me halfway/And I say that I’m through but this song’s still for you._ ” Your voice brought goosebumps to Robin’s skin, and she stood motionless in the middle of the room, entranced. 

It was very much a dumbstruck oh moment, her thoughts solidifying into the realization, heart skipping a beat. It’s quite terrifying to realize you love someone, especially if you have no way of knowing if the feelings are reciprocated. 

Robin barely managed to make her brain function again as the music fell away, and the song ended. Your hands remained still on the keys, shoulders hunched. Robin didn’t have to see your face to know your eyes were closed; they always fell shut after you finished. It was one of those odd little quirks she’d come to-

_To love_. It seemed so obvious, now that the thought had crystallized. 

“You should have dumped spaghetti on his head,” she said, approaching you. You glanced over your shoulder, lips tugging up ever so slightly in a sad smile, and shifted over on the bench to make room for her. 

“Today was chicken nuggets.”

“Pelting him in the face works, too.” 

Robin sat down but didn’t look at you, didn’t continue to speak, merely waiting. 

“I’m so _stupid_ ,” you said. Robin’s heart cracked in half; to sit and watch you hurt and be unable to do anything to alleviate your suffering was torture. 

“You are _not_ stupid. _He’s_ stupid. He’s a piece of shit boy who never deserved you in the first place.”

You closed your eyes for a long moment, that sad smile tugging on your lips. You removed your hands from the piano keys and let them settle at your sides. 

“What kind of name is Sean Sutton, always? _That’s_ stupid.”

You laughed meekly. 

“It’s dumb, I know. I know we’re gonna graduate in a year, and none of this will matter, but it _feels_ like…”

“Like the end of the world.”

You exhaled and nodded. 

“It won’t always feel like that. And it’s true. We’ll be in college, struggling to even remember what his name was. We’ll just remember how dumb it was,” Robin said. 

“I just hate it. I hate that they - that he - can fuck me up like this. It’s not fair.”

“That’s boys, for you. Endlessly frustrating, especially if you like them.”

You smiled and shifted to meet her gaze. 

“What were you playing?” Robin asked. Your brows arched and your eyes lit up with that familiar light; you could always be trusted to get excited about your music, though only with Robin. You’d never sung in front of anyone else. 

“Something new.” Your brows furrowed and you gestured to the sheet music resting above the keys, the page stained gray from so much erasing and rewriting. “I know I’ve said it before, but I think I really am done writing about him.”

“Good. He doesn’t deserve your talent.”

“You’re biased.”

“Course I’m biased. I have to be, I’m here to sing your praises.”

“The _best_ best friend there ever was,” you said. The words wouldn’t have hurt before today, but the day’s realizations made them sting. 

“You too,” she said, words falling flat. You noticed and frowned. 

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

“You’re a shit liar.”

“I am not.”

“Stop deflecting.”

Robin shrugged and tore her gaze from yours, letting it settle on the polished wood in front of her. 

“I just…hate to see you get hurt. I want you to be happy. I don’t want stupid testosterone-filled boys to do it, either, I want…” she didn’t know what she wanted, really. Besides _you_. 

“Want what?”

“I don’t know.” Robin frowned, insides twisting painfully. 

“You’re supposed to be comforting me, you know. Not getting sad because I’m sad.”

“So much for best best friend, huh?”

You shook your head, turning on the bench and drawing a knee up, an arm wrapped around it. 

“You’re the very best.”

Robin dragged her gaze to yours, scanning your features, searching for something in your face to give her bravery. But she was running on empty, and you’d always dated guys, and she didn’t even really understand her feelings. 

“I don’t want those boys to do it because…because I want to,” she said softly, the words spilling out before she could stop them. “I want you to be happy, but I want it to be with me.” 

An unreadable expression passed your face, and Robin was afraid she’d just made a grievous error, dug up something deadly. You were quiet for so long Robin was sure you weren’t going to speak. When you did, she held her breath. 

“You…and me?” You asked. She nodded curtly, too deep in the hole to pretend she wasn’t down there, and averted her gaze. 

“Look, we can just-we can just pretend I never said that. I didn’t-”

“No,” you said, and Robin stilled at the intensity of it. “No, we can’t.” 

Her shoulders sagged, and the gravity of the mistake she made settled heavily between her shoulder blades. Then, like a miracle or magic, you touched her hand, drawing her gaze to yours. 

“I think…I think I’d like to try,” you said, lips curling up in a shy smile. Robin frowned, brain not putting together the pieces quickly enough. 

“You…what?”

Your hand moved to hers, nudging her palm up, and you threaded your fingers together, making Robin’s heart skip a beat. 

“You were right. He doesn’t deserve it…or, me, I guess. But if anyone does …it’s you,” you said. A surprised smile tugged on her lips, and yours lifted in reply. 

“Does that mean you’re writing a song about me?” She teased. 

You paused, and said, “I think, maybe, they’ve all been about you.”


End file.
